Sewer-bucket.



A. W. SHIRK.

SEWER BUCKET.

APPLICATION FILED .APILE. 1909.

Patented Mar .8, 1910.

ANDREW u IFAFAM co finorourkcqwwnzns. WASMINGYON. u c.

UNITED STATE PATENT @FEIQE.

ANDREWV W. SHIRK, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

SEWER-BUCKET.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW SHIRE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewer-Buckets; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in sewer buckets for removing silt or the accumulations of solid matter deposited in sanitary sewers.

The bucket is operated by drawing it through a sewer by means of a windlass or otherwise. For example, when in use, the bucket may be drawn backward and forward through a sewer by means of cables or chains. During the rearward movement of the bucket, the silt is broken up or disintegrated, and during the forward movement the bucket carries the contents to a manhole where it is removed.

The object of the invention is to provide a bucket for this work, which may be removed from thesewer in case it becomes stalled or obstructed by engaging with any immovable or fixed substance within the sewer. The bottom is so arranged that it may be placed in a position of least resistance to the movement of the bucket in such cases, and the bucket be thus permitted to be drawn freely in either direction. In other words, in the rearward movement of the bucket, the bottom is moved to a position substantially parallel with the sides of the bucket and thus presents a minimum resistance in passing through the silt during its rearward movement. The bucket, it will beunderstood, effectually gathers the silt in its forward movement.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for breaking up the hard or packed sediment in the sewer and removing any roots or other matter tending to offer an obstruction; and a still further object of my invention is to provide means whereby the bucket may be relieved of any undue strain when it strikes an obstruction, as hereinbefore intimated.

Referring to the annexed drawings, Fig- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 5, 1809.

Patented Mar. 8, 1910.

Serial no. 487.986. 1

ure 1, is a longitudinal sectional view of my improved sewer bucket showing the same in a position in which it is moved with its contents. 2, is a side elevation of the bucket in the same position. Fig. 3, is a sectional view of the bottom end of the bucket showing the position of the bottom when the bucket is traveling in a rearward direction. Fig. et, is a cross section through the bucket on the line a a of F 1. Fig. 5, is a detail view of a portion of a chain showing means whereby the strain on the bucket is released when said bucket engages an obstruction.

In a detail description of the invention, similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts.

The shell or cylindrical body forming the bucket is made out of a suitable thickness of sheet metal and is formed of a series of longitudinal curved segments 1, flanged on their longitudinal edges and united by a suitable number of rivets. lhese flanges when united lie on the exterior side of the shell and form runners which ride against the sides of the sewer. The lateral edges of the sections, it will be observed, extend inwardly in a semi-circular form as at 1 and provide at each end of the bucket cutting edges. hen the bucket is being drawn through the accumulations of matter in the sewer, the effect of these edges is to cut through said matter and to thus cause the least resistance to be offered to the moving bucket. Any roots are also severed by these edges if they should lie in the path of the bucket.

Extending beyond the end of the bucket at the points of the runners 2, are bars 3 which are securely attached to said runners and afford means for connecting two or more chains a, said chains being connected at their other ends to a suitable ring 7. The chain or cable which leads to the windlass or other machine by which the bucket is drawn through the sewer, is likewise connected to said ring 7 and extends therefrom. Neither said chain or cable nor the Windlass are shown in the drawings as they are Wellknown devices and need no further mention.

In the rear end of the bucket the bottom 9 is located; this is made of sheet metal and of a disk form and of a diameter which permit it to swing upon a pivot formed by a rod 8 which extends through opposite sides of the shell and passes through staples 10 which are rigidly secured to said bottom. It will be seen that this rod forms a hinge III-A as it were, which is on one side of the axis of the bottom, and upon which the said bottom may be moved from the position shown in Fig. l to that shown in F 3, and vice versa.

Ata point near the edge of the bottom 5), to-wit-the edge which is farthest from the hinge S are staples 11 on opposite sides of said bottom and to which are attached chains 11 and 12, said chains being also extended and connected to the rings 7.

lVhen the bucket is traveling forward with a load, it will be obviously seen that the valve or bottom 9 is in a vertical position as shown in Fig. 1. When it is traveling in a rearward position, said bottom is in a horizontal position as shown in Fig. 3. This due to the fact that the chain 12 is shorter than the chain 11 and draft upon the ring 7 at that end of the bucket will throw the valve or bottom to such position. The length of the chain 11 is such that when draft is placed upon the ring 7 to which said chain is connected, the bottom will be moved to its upright position, and in such position the chain 11 as well as the chains 4: at that end of the bucket are taut. In a word, when the chain 11 is taut, the part 9 forms a bottom for the bucket, and when said chain 11 is slack by the draft being removed therefrom, and draft is applied to the chain 12, said bottom is moved to the position in Fig. in the event the bucket should be obstructed in its forward movement or should become stalled, means are provided for releasing it. consists in providing the chain 11 with a special link 13 which open at one end 5 or valve 9 will cause the same to find the This means I so that when extraordinary draft is placed 3 upon said chain 11, the link Lil which is adjacent to the open end of the hills 13, will become detached therefrom and thus the chain will be broken as it were with on one side of the. fulcrum S of the bottom horizontal position and the bucket will thus be permitted to cut through the silt or accumulations in the sewer. It will be understood. that the special link in the chain is of a sufficient strength to withstand the nor mal draft on the chain and that it only yields when extraordinary draft is placed upon said chain. It is obvious thatother means may be provided for this emergency, such for example, as i'uaking one of the links of the chain weaker than the others and in closing both ends of such link. I have shown in the drawings one means for the purpose of illustrating an expedient for such emergency. Heretofore, much annoya nee has been caused by sewer buckets being stalled in sewers, and requiring a man to enter the sewer to perform the very disagreeable duty of finding his way to the bucket to relieve it of the obstruction.

I claim:

in a sewer bucket, a shell, a valve forming a bottom to said bucket, chains connected to the ends of the bucket for drawing said bucket through the sewer in either direction, chains connected to opposite sides of the bottom, the chain on one side of the bottom and on one end of the bucket being arranged to meet a uniform draft when the bucket is drawn in one direction, and the chain extending from the other side of the bottom being adapted to open the bottom when draft is applied to the chains on that end of the bucket, and means which enables the bottom to find a horizontal position in the bucket when an obstruction interferes with the forward movement of said bucket in the sewer.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature. in presence of two witnesses.

ANDRElV XV. SHIRK. lVitncsses M arrnnw SInBLnn, R. J. MoCAn'rY. 

